Gemotions

Liam stared at the phone, the screen reflecting his own anxious face. He’d just left a romantic dinner with Chloe, promising her a weekend getaway. But scrolling through his messages, he saw a similar promise made to another woman, Emily, only hours before. A cold wave washed over him, a physical tremor he couldn’t suppress. He felt a need to sit down, the floor suddenly seemed very far away.

He felt the sudden weight of the air pressing in on him. His breath came in shallow, rapid pants. He clicked on Emily’s profile. Her picture: a warm smile, a look of joyful anticipation. He scrolled down, unable to look away, finding a stream of messages filled with affection, mirroring the words he’d used with Chloe.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to break something. Instead, he simply deleted the messages, one by one, the act leaving him feeling emptier than before.